211 Chapter 210 The Guests and the Host

"Durmstrang? I have heard of this school, you have concealed your school premises with ancient magic, and it is probably located in remote Northern Europe, but I have heard that it is the school with the most extensive student intake in Europe among the three magic schools, and I also heard that it even takes in children from Bulgaria at its farthest reaches?"

The table was well stocked, and Jon sat with Neville and the others at the table, listening to Sir Stoker's compliments to Durmstrang as well as snapping questions.

Jon smiled and gestured at Luna.

"Say hello to Sir, Anaya."

Luna nodded slightly toward Sir Stoker.

"Hola, Señor. (Hello, sir)"

Sir Stoker revealed a faintly surprised expression.

"You also accept students from Spain? I remember when I was still in France, all the students over there went to Beauxbatons."

"Parents always want their children to develop better don't they?" Jon said lightly, "Some of the parents of the kids, obviously, believe in us more than Beauxbatons. Of course, Beauxbatons is also an excellent magic school, but we have a very different focus when it comes to magic."

The old man in front of him said that his family's knighthood was conferred by the Capetian dynasty (a French dynasty), so he would be a Frenchman, and French wizards usually graduated from Beauxbatons, so Jon maintained his "arrogance" in respect to Durmstrang, while also giving Beauxbatons some recognition.

Sir Stoker smiled as he raised his glass, with red wine swirling gently in response to his gesture.

"That's for sure, parents want nothing more than the best education for their children."

The most crucial factor in maintaining the atmosphere of the conversation was the willingness of each person to chat to keep the session going.

Jon naturally had an agenda, and he couldn't wait to get closer to this Sir Stoker.

And it was not clear for what kind of purpose Sir Stoker was communicating this enthusiastically, but it was obvious that he also wanted to communicate more with Jon.

They ate and talked until Jon brought up a sentence that seemed casual.

"This place where you live is a little too remote, and that friend of mine Richard would not have been able to find this place if he had not liked to travel on the ocean in the first place, let alone have us sit here and enjoy dinner today."

"Personally, I like my place to be quiet and peaceful, I guess." Sir Stoker said with a smile, "plus this is a good place to observe the sky and study astronomy despite its remoteness, which is why I chose to move here. It was indeed a coincidence that your friend found this tower, and before him, it was only when I forgot to renew the Muggle-Repelling Charm that had expired 15 years ago that a Muggle ship found me here."

Jon raised his glass and frowned unnoticeably.

He couldn't tell if Stoker was lying or not, and if the man really had guessed what they had come here for and was intentionally circling the truth to conceal it, then his deceitful and unblinking acting skills were good enough to match Jon's.

"I heard that among the three magic schools in Europe, no matter which one it is, the conditions for recruiting professors are extremely strict and harsh, since Professor Johnson can be a professor of transfiguration, he must be talented and knowledgeable."

"You flatter me, I just got lucky."

"Then I wonder if Professor Johnson has any research in ancient runes, besides his achievements in Transfiguration?"

His tone was casual, but Jon was keenly aware that this might be the key to his so enthusiastic attitude towards himself the traveller.

Jon pondered for a moment, which looked like he wanted to be modest.

"Due to my personal interest, I have dabbled a bit in runes, but I am not proficient."

His answer caused Sir Stoker's eyes to light up slightly.

It was just that he didn't say anything more related to this aspect after that, but turned the topic to the changes and customs of the magical world in recent years.

When he heard Jon say that the pureblood policy practised in Britain nowadays, Sir Stoker showed an unusual surprise.

The expression on his face was obviously not faked, and it looked like, as he said, since he had moved to this tower, he had never left and had no more contact with the wizards on land, and simply did not know how the British magical community had changed today.

After learning in detail from Jon about the bloodline rule that Voldemort practised in Britain, he showed a scornful gesture and did not seem to agree or accept it.

In fact, from his willingness to follow the customs of his ancestors, and has been using the title given by Muggles, it can be seen that he actually does not have much disdain and discrimination against Muggles and wizards who come from Muggle families.

This made Jon feel somehow odd while not being out of expectation.

He certainly did not doubt that Dumbledore's information was wrong.

The Hogwarts could not be on the wrong path, prophecy is the most unreasonable talent in the magical world, and the one who could provide Dumbledore with accurate prophecy has the title of prophet, he was even able to predict the appearance and explosion of the mushroom bomb at the beginning of World War II, so it was unlikely to be wrong on this route.

This was especially confirmed after he obtained the diary from Azkaban.

But this attitude of Sir Stoker and the way he treated them and his words, it didn't look like he had any contact with Voldemort whatsoever.

He did not even seem to have heard who Voldemort is.

According to him, Voldemort had just graduated from Hogwarts, that is, in the fifties, when he had come to the tower from the mainland, during which, in addition to Dumbledore's visit under a pseudonym, he had never seen another British wizard.

A few times, the Nordic wizards came to him unintentionally, but they obviously didn't talk about a dark lord who was on the rise in Britain at the time.

But if Voldemort had really come here, whether it was to plot the tower or something on the tower, or even Sir Stoker himself, if he showed the slightest sign of non-cooperation, given the state of Voldemort who had just reabsorbed his own Horcrux at that time, Jon did not think Sir Stoker could survive after losing the use of the value.

If he submitted to Voldemort personally and did something for him, it can only be explained that he is now acting like this.

But his acting is too good, at least Jon from beginning to end did not find any crack.

He had doubts in his heart but did not show them, the dinner ended in such an apparently "happy host and guest" atmosphere.

Afterwards, Sir Stoker kindly invited Jon to bring his students to stay in the tower for a few more days, he rarely had outsiders here, plus he felt that he had a good conversation with Jon, so he wanted to communicate with him more.

Jon showed some hesitation, he said he had other travel plans to take his students next, but it was a good experience to stay and visit this tower for a few days.

So he agreed but made the excuse that he had to go back to the ship tonight to arrange for the students who stayed on board, and then this night, he did not spend the night in the tower.

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